Boy Scouts Add West Point Fish Attractors

Ray Roesel with the West Point Lake Coalition offered assistance and their boat to drop the fish attractors in Wehadkee Creek.

West Point Lake anglers will benefit from the efforts of Boy Scout Jacob Buchanan. The 15-year-old, of Sharpsburg, spent Saturday, May 12 with six other Boy Scouts from Troop 897, out of Newnan, and sank PVC-style fish attractors in Wehadkee Creek on West Point Lake. Jacob had to plan, organize and carry out the project to advance to Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts.

“We dropped a total of 64 fish attractors that were dropped in ‘pods’ of three at 20 various places picked out by myself,” said Jacob.

All 20 of the spots are in a small area in Wehadkee Creek above and below the Highway 109 Spur bridge adjacent to Dewberry Access. At full pool, most of the fish attractors will be in 20 feet of water and provide great deep-water places for anglers to fish in the summer and winter.

Future Eagle Scout Jacob Buchanan, 15, of Sharpsburg, stands with Derrick Wilkerson, park ranger with the Corps of Engineers. “Derrick Wilkerson was the starting point and a huge help for the beginning of my project,” said Jacob.

“Local fishermen can insert the coordinates on their GPS and go straight to the sites to fish,” said Jacob. “So, if the area supports a good population of fish and large amounts being caught, local fishing retail stores should have an increase of sales: from bait and lures to fishing line and other supplies.”

Jacob, who picked the area because it was near his family’s lake house, said his project would not have happened if it were not for donations made by friends, neighbors and local businesses along with the approval and support of Derrick Wilkerson with the Corps of Engineers, Brent Hess with Georgia’s Wildlife Resources Division Fisheries section and West Point Lake Coalition members Ray Roesel and Jack Struble.

GPS Coordinates To 20 New Fish Attractors In West Point’s Wehadkee Creek No. 1: N 33º 03.103 – W 85º 13.143No. 2: N 33º 03.082 – W 85º 13.089No. 3: N 33º 03.032 – W 85º 12.981No. 4: N 33º 03.066 – W 85º 12.928No. 5: N 33º 03.051 – W 85º 12.900No. 6: N 33º 03.023 – W 85º 12.799No. 7: N 33º 03.100 – W 85º 12.707No. 8: N 33º 03.124 – W 85º 12.738No. 9: N 33º 03.174 – W 85º 12.667No. 10: N 33º 03.254 – W 85º 12.657No. 11: N 33º 03.261 – W 85º 12.559No. 12: N 33º 03.198 – W 85º 12.517No. 13: N 33º 03.133 – W 85º 12.605No. 14: N 33º 03.016 – W 85º 12.651No. 15: N 33º 02.962 – W 85º 12.721No. 16: N 33º 02.956 – W 85º 12.829No. 17: N 33º 02.883 – W 85º 13.967No. 18: N 33º 02.720 – W 85º 13.165No. 19: N 33º 02.688 – W 85º 13.131 No. 20: N 33º 02.653 – W 85º 13.012

It took adults and other Boy Scouts from Troop 897 to make the 64 PVC fish attractors before they could dropped into the lake.